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During his budget presentation, Gov. Andrew Cuomo listed the state agencies and offices that would be submitting to 10 percent cuts — including the operations run by the Comptroller and Attorney General.

Then Cuomo took a moment to mention another state entity. “Only the Office of Court Administration did not participate in finding reductions, and we will negatively comment on their budget when we submit it,” Cuomo said.

Judge Ann Pfau, who has served as the state’s chief administrative judge for almost four years, said the judiciary simply can’t sustain cuts of that magnitude when roughly 95 percent of its budget goes to personnel. “Quite frankly … we would have to close courts,” she said.

“While we can be asked to cut our budget by 10 percent, we’re an independent branch of government,” Pfau said.

The judiciary submitted a budget of just over $2.9 billion, which according to Cuomo reflects an increase of almost 2 percent, or $50 million, from 2010-11. “The proposed Judiciary budget also reflects, on a cash basis, a spending increase of 5.3 percent, or $140 million,” Cuomo notes in his “Commentary of the Governor on the Judiciary,” contained in the budget package.

“In order to address the fiscal realities confronting the State, I respectfully ask the Judicial Branch to reduce its spending while continuing to serve those who seek justice,” Cuomo wrote.

Pfau added that the judiciary was “very mindful” of the state’s tough fiscal condition, and “we have been working very cooperatively with the governor’s office.”

She declined to speculate on why the governor would call out the Judiciary in this way — but did note that the budget of that other independent branch of government, the Legislature, wasn’t included in the list of those taking a 10 percent cut.

The state’s judges haven’t received a raise in more than a decade, although that predicament could be coming to an end thanks to the recent passage of legislation establishing an independent panel to set periodic salary increases for public officials.

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